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Fog hampers attempts to retrieve tourist's body
23 May 2006

Fog this morning delayed alpine rescue efforts to retrieve the body of an American tourist who fell 300m to his death after stepping out of a helicopter and plummeting down a steep bluff in the Southern Alps.


Wanaka Detective Derek Shaw an initial check by staff this morning decided it was too foggy to send out a rescue team.

Checks would continue to be made every half hour to evaluate whether it was safe to proceed,

The middle-aged man was one of three hunters in a helicopter, which landed about 3pm on a ridge at Albert Burn, about 7km south of the head of Lake Wanaka, yesterday afternoon.

One person had already jumped out of the helicopter, when the American stepped down and somehow slipped and fell over the bluff.

The pilot immediately flew down to where the man had fallen but was unable to land.

However, those on board could clearly see the man was dead.

An alpine rescue team, including one police officer, flew to the area yesterday in an attempt to retrieve the body, but bad weather stopped them from landing.

Mr Shaw said the dead man's family had wanted to contact their family in the United States about the death and had asked for no further assistance from the police

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Body of NZ chopper victim recovered

May 23, 2006 - 3:29PM

Police have retrieved the body of an American tourist who fell 300 metres to his death shortly after stepping out of a helicopter in the Southern Alps on Monday afternoon.

Clifford Wayne Senter, 57, of New Hampshire, was killed when he tripped and fell down a steep bluff while chamois hunting in the Albert Burn area near Lois Peak in the Mount Aspiring National Park.

Wanaka Search and Rescue coordinator, Sergeant Aaron Nicholson, said Senter had been in New Zealand for the past week on a hunting holiday, with his wife and two friends.

They had intended to leave New Zealand on Tuesday to continue their holiday in Australia.

Senter, his friend and a local Wanaka hunting guide had left Wanaka by helicopter about 2.30pm on Monday.

They spotted chamois in the head of the valley, and the helicopter pilot landed on a small flat outcrop.

However, when Senter stepped out of the machine, he slipped on the wet ground and started to slide down the slope with no chance of holding his fall.

Low cloud and fog prevented a search and rescue team from reaching him on Monday night.

A recovery team was deployed first thing on Tuesday and located Senter at the base of the bluff in the afternoon.

It was clear that the fall was not survivable as he had sustained very serious head and body injuries, Nicholson said.

A post mortem examination would be carried out at the Dunedin Mortuary.

© 2006 AAP

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John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Hearing the bull bellowing at 15-20 yards was some of the most exciting hunting I can recall.

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